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In his final tune-up before Opening Day, Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling gave up two runs on six hits in four innings this afternoon at City of Palms Park, striking out two and walking one in Boston's 3-2 victory over Pittsburgh. He spoke to the media after the game:

How excited are you?:

"Nervous, anxious ... it's been two years since I've been the guy I was. Until I go out and do what I did before, a lot of questions."

On his stuff:

"Didn't feel like I had a lot of life today on my fastball."

"I'm healthy, my arm feels good. I don't think I really questioned that. I don't think many of my questions will get answered until the season starts ... I want to believe that physically I can be where I was if not better. I'm human, so I want to see it happen. That's probably where a lot of the nerves come from."

"I will use my changeup. I might have thrown 10 last year. I can see situations where I might throw close to that many in a game"

On his fastball:

"Today was probably as bad a fastball physically as I felt I had all spring ... The fastball was the one thing I was wondering about coming into this spring and I thought earlier in the spring I answered a lot of questions to myself. I throw a straight fastball, so location and velocity are important."

Are you better equipped to put guys away and avoid long at bats than you were last year?:

"I'm getting there. At no point last year was I confident and comfortable with putting guys away because I didn't feel like I had the ability to do it."

"My arm feels fantastic, and that's the thing I hold out more than anything. My arm feels great, my arm feels strong. I think I threw 30-something innings this spring, and I don't feel fatigued."

Are you transforming himself, like Pedro did, to finesse it a bit more?:

"Not yet. So much of what I do is preparation, that I'd like to think it will take me longer to get to that transition point because I go in with such a micromanaged game plan. I don't have to be 96 on the corners. I know where [a hitter's] holes are and I know I can make pitches to those holes."